WWII V-Neck Sweater

Introduction

Sharon Earley of the American Red Cross in San Antonio, Texas, bought on eBay an old Bucilla Yarn booklet, entitled "Practical, Warm Hand Knits for Service Men," full of instructions for knitting items for military men during World War II. The booklet is Volume 318, dated 1940, and is marked 10 cents!

Sharon sent me scans of each page of the booklet so I could put them on my website as companions to the WWI knit patterns. Since the instructions are relatively modern, I've simply retyped them verbatim. Please read the World War II Pattern FAQ if you have any questions.

V-Neck Sweater No. 202

Editorial note: This sweater is worked in an unusual manner: First the front is worked, then the back is worked in one piece with the front from the shoulders to the bottom ribbing. I wonder if sweaters knit flat in two separate pieces tended to fall apart at the shoulder seams, suggesting this alternate method of construction during the war? This sweater could also be easily done in rounds, working front and back at the same time, splitting at the armholes.

Whether the body of the sweater is knit flat or not, I do encourage knitters to work the neckband in rounds--so much simpler than these rather complicated instructions.

The finished garment size is about 36 inches (93 cm) around the chest for medium, and about 34 inches (87 cm) for small. These sizes are small for modern Americans, so plan to alter the pattern to fit the recipient.

BODY-- With the fine (No. 4) needles, cast on loosely 84 (80) sts for lower edge of front; work in ribbing of k 1, p 1, for 5 inches. K 1 row plain, increasing in every 10th (12th) st, 92 (86) sts on needle. Change to the large needles and work even in stockinette stitch (k 1 row, p 1 row) until front measures 15 (14 1/2) inches from beginning (or work to any desired length below armholes).

Bind off 3 sts at beginning of each of the next 2 rows; decrease 1 st at both ends in each of the next 4 knit rows, 78 (72) sts left. Work 3 rows even, ending with a purled row.

Next row divide for neck opening: k the first 39 (36) sts and slip them to a stitch holder or strand of yarn, k remaining 39 (36) sts, turn and p back to center (point of V-neck). Work 2 more rows even, ending at neck. * Next row k the first 2 sts together, k to armhole. Work 3 rows even. Repeat from *, thus decreasing at neck every 4th row, until there are 7 decreases, then decrease every other row, 8 (7) times, 24 (22) sts left. Work 3 rows even after the last decrease, ending at neck; break off. Slip the 39 (36) sts from stitch holder back to needle. Beginning at neck, p to armhole and next row decrease 1 st at neck; continue to work this side to correspond to first side, ending last row at armhole. K back to neck, cast on 30 (28) sts for back of neck, k the 24 (22) sts from first side on to the same needle. Work even on these 78 (72) sts for 48 (46) rows. Increase 1 st at both ends every other row, 4 times, cast on 3 sts at beginning of each of the next 2 rows, 92 (86) sts on needle. Work even until there are as many rows on back as on front, from armholes to ribbing, ending with a purled row.

Change to the fine needles, k 2 row knitting every 10th and 11th st together (11th and 12th st), 84 sts left. Work even in ribbing of k 1, p 1 for 5 inches; bind off loosely, knitting the knitted and purling the purled sts.

Sew side seams.

NECKBAND-- With the fine needles and beginning in first row from back, on left shoulder, pick up and k 37 sts on neck edge to point of V-neck (about 3 sts for every 4 rows), pick up 1 st at point, then pick up and k 37 sts on other side of neck edge, up to back. 1st row of ribbing (wrong side): p 1, k 1, alternately, on the first 37 sts to point st, ending with p 1; k the point st; p 1 and k 1, alternately, ending row with p 1. 2nd row of ribbing: turn, k 1 and p 1, alternately, to within 1 st of point st (ending with p 1); k the next 3 sts together (the point st and 1 st on each side of it); p 1, k 1, alternately, to end of row. 3rd row of ribbing (wrong side): ribbing as before to within 1 st of point st, p the next 3 sts together (the point st and 1 st on each side of it); ribbing as before to end of row. Repeat the last 2 rows once. Bind off loosely, knitting the knitted and purling the purled sts. Pick up and k 32 (30) sts across back of neck, work 5 rows in ribbing and bind off as on front band. Sew front and back neckband together at sides.

SLEEVES-- Cast on 56 (54) sts on the fine needles and work in ribbing of k 1, p 1 for 22 rows. Change to the large needles and work in stockinette stitch, 14 rows even. Increase 1 st at both ends of next row, and of every 10th row thereafter, until there are 10 increases at each side. Work even on these 76 (74) sts, until sleeve measures 21 inches from beginning (or work to any desired length of sleeve at underarm). Bind off 6 sts at beginning of each of the next 2 rows, then bind off 2 sts at beginning of every row for 16 rows, and 3 sts at beginning of each of the following 2 rows; bind off all remaining sts. Sew sleeve seams. Baste and sew sleeves into armholes with seams meeting at underarm.